15 Reasons Why Cutting School is NOT Cool or NEVER be Cool

Although this illegal activity had been going on for many classes before my class, back in our day from 1967 through 1972, we didn’t want to be the class to break the time-honored tradition that others had suffered to maintain.

I am not talking about a taffy pull, a corn shucking bee, but cutting class. The more-sophisticated student classes of our great country called it, “Cutting school,” I guess because it sounds more-decent and sugar-coated. We didn’t go in for all of that cushy stuff. We were rough and from the rural part of our county and we knew what we were doing.

Now understand something. To the inexperienced onlooker, cutting class takes more work and mental toughness than you would imagine. To cut class, you cannot have any “weak links,” if you are in a group of “cutters.” You only recruit the strongest, most-courageous and those students who just didn’t care. They make excellent people to help you “cut class.”

I just wonder what the ratio is for non-class cutters as opposed to those squeaky-clean, “perfect” students who would cringe if the term, “cutting class,” were as much as mentioned to them. I wager that both the male and female squeaky-clean students would suddenly have to visit their respective restrooms to relieve themselves of the fear that was brought onto them by the mention of that vulgar and anti-American.

But what the heck. I will play the role of “Henry Gondorff,” (Paul Newman, The Sting), and go all-in and say that hardly any student has not at one time or the other, cut school alone or with their friends.

It’s an ironclad tradition. Teachers expect it. Students, like the prisoners with Tim Robbins--“Andy Dufresne,” in “Shawshank Redemption,” start planning how to cut class the first day of junior high. There are more planning that goes into one cutting class event than went into Desert Storm. I know this is true. And I have known of students so desperate to cut class that they would also be like “Andy Dufresne,” and crawl to freedom through our sewer lines from the school restrooms to freedom somewhere in Hamilton, Al., our hometown.

Although I only cut school twice, now in my latter years I look back on just how asinine that juvenile action really was. Oh, at the time, my adventure of cutting class with my buddies, Gary DuPree and Rodney Ferguson, was the most-exciting time in my eighth-grade life, 1968, to be exact.

Now, and after some really serious studying, I am presenting to the parents of school children reading “this” story,

15 Reasons Why Cutting Class is NOT or NEVER Will be Cool

• When you cut school, you are then a law-breaker. Although cutting school is below a misdemeanor and judges would laugh at the charge, you are on your way down a dangerous and deceptive pathway called: Lawlessness. Cutting class “can” and sometimes does, lead to serious crimes. Do you really want this lifestyle?
• Being a student who cuts class “is” cool, but only for a short while. If a student continues to cut class, he chooses to be stupid and not able to make intelligent choices for he (or she) is not in class to learn what opportunities are out there in the world for them.
• There is no monetary-compensation or pension plans afforded for cutting class.
• Even the thrill of hiding from truant officers in malls, garages, and your basement can get old after awhile.
• Today’s society of young people may seem an adoring lot of worshippers of rebellious students, but a closer look reveals a strong sense of maturity in getting a good education and making for themselves a positive life.
• Cutting class can be addictive to someone addicted to illegal thrills. When cutting class doesn’t fill this thrill, then other areas of illegal excitement can come easy to the students such as shoplifting, dealing drugs, and eventually dropping-out of school. You think I am kidding? Do the math. The statistics are not in your favor if you are thinking about this type of life.
• Failing classes is not an intelligent choice and that is the choice you are making when you cut classes over and over again.
• Did you also know that cutting class can bring your family into a light of irresponsibility? Do you really want that for your family who has fed, clothed, loved you, and went without themselves just for you?
• Cutting class can lead you into the ugly practice of telling lies. Example: Your dad: “Son, Mr. Thomas, our neighbor, told me that he saw you and two of your friends in the mall today around 1 p.m. Was that you?” You: “Uhh, no dad. There is a kid in school that some say looks just like me.”
• The only education cutting class can give to you is a degree in “street smarts.” Can this form of education land you a great job? I think your answer would be “no.”
• Sure, going to class can be boring, but sitting in a police station waiting for your parents to pick you up can be boring too when you continually cut class and then picked-up by the truant officer.
• You, the student who cuts class, are responsible for influencing another student to follow in your footsteps. Dry fact? Maybe. But what if that student who views you as a hero, cuts class and is severely-injured or becomes the victim of kidnapping or some other heinous act, who is responsible? You can take some time to think about your answer.
• Just what if your friends who love cutting school with you, get tired of this illegal act and go back to school . . .where does this leave you? Alone and with no one to lean on. Do you really want this lifestyle?

Coming next . . .Hey, you will just have to wait and see.